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BY H. LBAUGHER, D I). 



"REDEEMING THE TIME." 



DISCOURSE 



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OF 



PENNSYLVANIA COLLEGE, 



SEPTEMBER 12, 1858. 
BY H. L. BAUGHER, D. D. 

President of Pennsylvania College. 



PUBLISHED BY THE CLA 

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r,A**©^^—'e**AA'«~ 1 



GETTYSBURG: 

PRINTED BY HENRY C. NEINSTEDT. 

1858. 



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2.001 



(ftrakatts. 



P. McCon aught Armor, Pittsburg, Pa, 

Solomon Jesse Berlin, Saltzburg, Pa, 

Thomas B. Burrowes,,. Lancaster, Pa. 

A. R. Horne, Quakertown, Pa, 

Eli as S. Johnston, .,...AItoona, Pa. 

J. Brewer Kershner, Clear Spring, Md. 

Edward J. Koons, York, Pa. 

Jonathan H. Kreitzer, Myerstown, Pa. 

John Quincy McAtee, Clear Spring, Md, 

Victor Miller, Clear Spring, Md, 

Jacob B. Rath, .Nazareth, Pa. 



SERMON 



Ephesians 5 : 16. "Redeeming the time, because the days are evil." 

Man, in his fallen condition, is made up of min- 
gled good and evil. There are within him noble as- 
pirations, whilst there are promptings to all that is 
unholy and debasing. The world with which he has 
to do is similarly conditioned, whilst everywhere are 
celebrated the triumphs of sin, achieved under the di- 
rection of the prince of the power of the air, the 
spirit which now worketh in the children of disobe- 
dience. 

To those beginning life, comparatively inexperi- 
enced and exposed to strong temptations from with- 
in and without, no parting words would seem to be 
more appropriate and profitable than those which 
point out the evils to which they are exposed and 
the remedy. This I propose to do, under the guid- 
ance of the text. Redeeming the time, because the 
days are evil. 1. The evils. 2. The Remedy, Re- 
deeming the time. 

I shall not attempt to draw a minute parallel be- 
tween the state of the world, when Paul wrote to 



6 

the Ephesians, and the present, in order to show the 
appropriateness of the text to the existing state of 
things. There is a resemblance between any two 
points, in the history of man, sufficiently striking to 
make the truths of the text applicable to both. The 
world was then corrupt as it is now. There were 
false systems of philosophy, made venerable by age 
and the names of their founders and followers ; there 
were fountains of moral and social corruption, in the 
form of amusements, which poured forth streams in 
which virtue was overwhelmed, and piety died ; and 
there were men in power then, as there are now, who 
enlisted their influence, in the service of Satan, to 
resist the truths. If, between the two periods refer- 
red to, there is a difference in the form and manifes- 
tation of evil, the spirit and the effort are the same. 

I. The days are evil. This proposition we may 
affirm of the whole age. The days are evil by rea- 
son of sin. Sin, like a tyrant, reigns in the hearts 
of men and does his pleasure. The evidences of his 
dominion are everywhere seen, in the sorrow and the 
tears, the desolation and death, which follow his foot- 
steps. Before him is Eden, with the blessing of God, 
behind him are thorns and briars, and the curse of 
God. 

Leaving these generalities, we point out to you 
as an evil to be shunned, the tendency to extrava- 
gance. This is seen in the wild theories which are 
formed on almost all subjects, and the little respect 



which is paid to ancient landmarks. The age is rad- 
ical, and every man feels himself authorized to cut 
loose from the safe-moorings of history and the word 
of God, and to launch forth upon the open sea to 
discover new continents and islands. No limits, it 
would seem, are imposed upon the thoughts of man, 
and the maxim of the Grecian sage, "Know thyself," 
and the more modern aphorism, "It is wisdom to 
know the extent of our powers," are alike discarded. 
Not only are the old errors in philosophy and theol- 
ogy re-produced, in new forms and relations, but 
grosser forms, as the product of the radicalism of 
the age. The truth as it is in Christ Jesus is at- 
tacked, and arguments are drawn from the stars in 
their courses, from the depths of the earth, and from 
the bones of extinct animals, and from the race of 
man and living animals. Science herself, the hea- 
ven-born, which reveals the glory of God in his 
works, is enlisted as an auxiliary in this unnatural 
warfare, and is compelled to utter enigmatical or 
false responses. From these more elevated forms of 
error, the age is passing through the grosser forms 
of mesmerism, spiritual-rapping, communism, mor- 
monism, down to the profound depths of Free Love. 
Here we are permitted to pause and to inquire, wheth- 
er there is a lower depth into which the carnal mind 
and the carnal heart of man can descend. The won- 
der is not so much that these theories should pass 
through the busy brains of visionaries, but that they 



8 

should be adopted by so many followers, and that 
the votaries of these delusions are counted by thou- 
sands, and some of them by hundreds of thousands. 
If the evil were excluded from the limits of the 
church of the Redeemer, and did not invade the 
sanctuary, and the sons of Levi who minister at the 
altar, it would not be so dangerous. The church 
exhibits the same kind of Radicalism, only in a new 
relation, and whilst she throws around it the highest 
sanctions and the dearest associations known to man, 
she clings to the error, as though it were the truth. 
They who would avoid these extremes, seeking to 
reconcile the discordant elements by which they are 
surrounded, as well as the welfare of the church and 
their own, become the enemies of both parties, and 
are assailed by both. Thus the High Church of all 
denominations, with flowing vestments and stately 
mein, with liturgy and chant and solemn organ, passes 
up through the dimly lighted, lofty and richly carved 
church into the altar unchurching, as heretics or gross 
errorists, all those who can not pronounce her Shib- 
boleth : whilst the other extreme, furious in zeal, 
and raging in excitement, pronounces all those un- 
converted, who do not go with them to the same ex- 
cess in zeal and the same extravagance in measures, 
and condemns, as unfit for the ministry, those who 
pray with a book and preach with a paper. If a young 
man, in assuming his place in society, were left to 
his own reflections, uninfluenced by pressure from 



without, to determine his course, the evil might not 
reach him. But he is assailed at once by the ex- 
tremists, and must be prepared, not only for the al- 
ternative of being unchurched or recorded as uncon- 
verted, but, if he choose to be conservative, he must 
suffer both. 

The same spirit is manifested in the administra- 
tion of the government by the people. Here, the 
evil becomes more formidable, inasmuch as it as- 
sumes the form of party. Whilst it is natural and pro- 
per for men, in a government like ours, to combine 
together to accomplish the end which all concerned 
regard as desirable, and whilst the end itself may be 
praiseworthy, all experience teaches that the means 
employed to attain that end, are often in the highest 
degree criminal. Whilst some of the more intelligent 
and honorable are contending for principle, and un- 
derstand the principle, the great mass are ignorant 
of the point in controversy, and labor for nothing but 
the party and the power. The pursuasive influences 
are those of wealth and office, and few have courage 
sufficient to resist them. Thus the interests of the 
country are forgotten and unseen, in the contest for 
the interests of party, and, whilst liberty and the 
preservation of the union are the watchwords, and 
are emblazoned on their banners, they are but words 
of deception, employed to seduce the ignorant into 
the support of party. When then an educated and 
talented youth, full of the love of his country goes 



10 

forth into the world, his integrity is at once assailed; 
position, office and wealth are proffered to him, if 
he will but bow down and worship at the shrine of 
party. Is it wonderful that men thus become more 
corrupt than they are by nature ? When once he is 
enlisted in the service, the natural ardor of youth ur- 
ges him forward, so that his whole soul is engaged, 
and, in the contest for power and the struggle with 
rivals, the love of country and the love of God are 
extinguished. Thus the ranks of extremists in poli- 
tics are replenished, and good men are intimidated 
and driven from the service of their country 

The spirit of extravagance is seen in the desire 
for great wealth suddenly acquired by speculation, in 
dress, furniture, the mode of living and the desire of 
pleasure. Men no longer seek enjoyment in business, 
it is a means subsidiary to an end, and that end is an 
independent fortune. It is not difficult to see how 
such views and desires are followed by discontent- 
ment in business, dissatisfaction with small gains, and 
the inclination, when the occasion presents itself, to 
make large gains, without being over scrupulous as 
to the means. The law of christian love, and the 
great law of reciprocity u do to others as you would 
have them do to you," which is at the foundation of 
all honesty, are expelled from the heart as the rule 
of life, and selfishness rules there. The governing 
principle is selfishness. Everything is made subser- 
vient to the acquisition of wealth, and, when acquired, 



11 

business is relinquished, and the language of the 
heart is, "soul, thou hast much goods laid up for 
many years, eat drink and be merry."" Life, as to 
what remains of it, is to be employed in pleasure as 
an end. How duty suffers, in such a process, I need 
hardly delay to indicate. How love to God and the 
Church, how the common charities of life, and that 
benevolence, which flows like a sparkling stream, 
cheering and refreshing as it goes, all perish under 
the oppressive weight of the animal gratification 
which is the end of life. It is melancholy, to think 
of an immortal soul, largely endowed with intellect 
and the ability to be useful, employing all its own 
energies and those of the body for no other purpose 
than to provide dainty meats and soft and costly rai- 
ment for the mortal and corruptible body. 

The young of limited means, are exposed to this 
evil in another direction. With many, respectability 
is measured by the fineness and cut of the coat, by 
the number and weight of the chains and rings which 
are worn, and by the quality and quantity of the ci- 
gars and ices consumed. To become respectable 
in this way requires an amount of income not allowed 
to all. Hence the temptation to incur debt, to steal, 
to defraud and to resort to any means which will se- 
cure this end. Many a young man has thus, early 
in life made shipwreck of his character and his hap- 
piness, and even his soul. Need I say, that such re- 
spectability is purchased too dear, at any price. — 



12 

For the possession of it reflects no honor upon the 
possessor, however acquired. The respectability 
which appears all on the surface proves that there 
is none within. The standard of respectability, raised 
thus high by the extravagance in dress and furniture 
and mode of living, prevents hundreds from entering 
into the married state, and exposes them to all the 
temptations incident to such an unsettled condition. 
Instead of a home, where the social virtues reign, 
with industry, contentment and peace, shielded by the 
purity and sacredness of the married relation, the 
young man is homeless, a boarder and a lounger at 
a tavern or boarding-house, with no one to sympa- 
thise with him, to enter into his plans and purposes, 
to sooth his sorrows and bind up the wounds which 
are received in the conflict of life. For many such, 
the haunts of vice and dissipation become a common 
resort, and from there they pass away, to a misera- 
ble eternity. 

The same extravagance, when the married state 
has been entered, exhibited in costly furniture, expen- 
sive entertainments and fashionable amusements, 
speedily produces debts and difficulties followed by 
bankruptcy and all the evils of a want of confidence. 
Thus mighty for evil is the worship of the '•'•Idols of 
the Tribe." 

There are also specific forms of evil which charac- 
terize the age. Among these we mention the mode 
of living by one's ivits. This evil is charged especi- 



13 

ally upon educated men. It is alleged, and not with- 
out facts to sustain the position, that the processes 
of education tend to physical inactivity and indolence. 
That young men educated in our High Schools and 
Colleges, are indisposed, when they engage with 
merchants, mechanics or farmers, to do the work in- 
cident to the position which they occupy, and, there- 
fore, it has become a question with some of them 
whether an education, for a business man, is not a 
real injury. It is obvious that the reasoning which 
leads to such conclusion is fallacious, and the premi- 
ses, from which the conclusion is drawn, are neither 
sufficiently numerous nor well ascertained. Neither 
is it true that men who live by their wits are always 
the alumni of our schools and colleges. The evil, 
notwithstanding, is real. 

"Whilst, there is a difficulty for a young man to ob- 
tain employment at once, in any of the learnd profes- 
sions, except theology, there are many who are indis- 
posed to submit to the toil and drudgery of any regular 
profession or avocation, and prefer to live as best 
they may. These are the men who speedily expend 
their patrimony, if they have any, and, when their 
funds are exhausted, settle down like sponges upon 
their friends, hopeful young men, always expecting 
something to turn up in the wheel of fortune which 
will relieve their pressing necessities, yet unwilling 
to forestall fortune by their own efforts, and control 
her by their own power. That is true genius and 



14 

independence which, instead of waiting for circum- 
stances to bring relief, has the power and the will to 
create the circumstances themselves. Herein do 
men differ from each other especially, whether the 
differences arise from education, constitutional tem- 
perament, or both combined ; the one class refuses 
to act until compelled by the force of circumstances, 
the other acts under all circumstances, making trib- 
utary to the power of its own will whatever resour- 
ces are found without and within the soul. The 
man who lives by his wits, is ever waiting, and, 
whilst in this state, is open to the seductions of the 
gambling saloon with all its horrid accompaniments, 
the lottery office, the theatre and any enterprise 
which may promise present or prospective gain with- 
out much effort, whilst he neglects, or despises, or 
cannot see the means of an honest livelihood crowd- 
ing around him from day to day. To this class be- 
long those who hang upon the skirts of the great, 
who live upon the smiles of office, and who are pre- 
pared for any kind or degree of debasing work, pro- 
vided it be remunerative. 

The evils, which have been thus far cited, belong 
to the less obvious and therefore the more danger- 
ous. They do not shock us by their grossness, as do 
the intemperance, profanity, licentiousness and law- 
lessness which stare us in the face, as we move along 
the streets. They are rather principles, or impulses 
which express themselves in various forms of evil, as 



15 

occasion requires. Neither is it possible, in a brief 
discourse, to point out and unmask the various hid- 
den traps and snares which are laid for the young, 
and which emphatically characterizes the days as evil. 
The heart itself, however instructed and fortified, 
knows not the depths of its own depravity, or the 
child-like weakness and cowardice which it will dis- 
play before a strong temptation. Every new situa- 
tion in life reveals a new phase of character and a 
new imperfection undreamed of. Thus the heart, 
which is thoughtful and anxious to improve, will be 
deeply humbled under its loftiest aspirations and un- 
der the most unlocked for circumstances, yet this 
humility will teach self-distrust, and confidence in the 
Redeemer and the word of God. Thus the soul is 
prepared, even amid the evil days, for higher enjoy- 
ments and a holier state, and in its deepest depres- 
sion, looks with hope to the rest which remains for 
the people of God. 

II. The remedy for the evil days, like all scrip- 
tural remedies, is simply, "Redeeming the time." It 
Strikes at the root of the evil, by developing a great 
principle which is of easy and universal application. 
Assuming that a man sets out in life with a good 
character, understanding the relations which he sus- 
tains to God and man, he cannot fail, by carrying 
into execution the principle involved to be shielded 
from the corrupting influences of the evil days, and 
also to become better. The remedy simplified, is 



16 

Industry properly directed. It is a judicious, prudent 
and wise use of every opportunity to do good to 
ourselves and to others. The word time means, not 
time in its ordinary signification, but occasion, oppor- 
tunity ; and Redeeming means the best use we can 
make of it. The illustration is derived from the 
course pursued by an industrious and provident trades- 
man, who turns a penny everywhere, and everything 
into a penny. So must we then use the opportuni- 
ties of life, which come to us from day to day, that 
they may be made tributary by us, in the highest de- 
gree, to the great object of life. So must we em- 
ploy them, as the richest talents entrusted to us, for 
which we must give account. For life is nothing 
else than these occasions. So must we employ them, 
that they may not be witnesses against us at the bar 
of conscience from day to day, and at the bar of 
God at the last day. 

1. In order to "Redeem the time," it is necessary 
that our own hearts be in a proper condition. For, 
if we do not know ourselves, or if passion, or preju- 
dice reign in the soul, we will thereby be incapacita- 
ted, for the improvement of the opportunity when it 
comes. We must therefore be watchful over our- 
selves, with a closer scrutiny and intenser zeal than 
we have ever exercised towards a neighbor, or an 
enemy. We must guard against the swellings of 
passion and excess in every direction, for no one un- 
der their influence can judge impartially. "Let your 



17 

moderation be known unto all men." All men pos- 
sess weak points, however strong maybe their char- 
acter, and in this direction, the danger of error is the 
greatest. It is well to know what these are, and 
when they are likely to appear, and thus be an obsta- 
cle in the way of the good which we might accom- 
plish. This watchfulness over self, this knowledge 
of self, will secure a calm and serene state of mind, 
in the highest degree favorable to the development 
of the noblest powers of our nature, and the most 
successful use of them. 

2. Cultivate personal holiness. I separate this topic 
from the preceding, not because it is generically dif- 
ferent, but in order to direct especial attention to it. 
This may be regarded as the great end of life, for, 
when it shall have been attained, it will be found that 
we have honored God most, and have been most 
useful to our fellow men. We desire to look at this 
subject as an end as well as a means, for the scrip- 
tures distinctly indicate it as an end, when they say, 
"Be ye holy, for I am holy," and "without holiness 
no one shall see the Lord." We will then best guard 
against the evil and redeem the time for ourselves, 
when we ask ourselves daily, what shall we do, and 
ivhat shall we avoid in order that we may become holy ? 
Under the influence of such a desire thus expressed, 
we would instinctively be led to fall upon our knees, 
in devout prayer to Almighty God on this behalf, 
earnestly pleading those precious promises, which 



18 

he has left on record for the comfort and encourage- 
ment of his people. The desire coming from God, 
for that which is agreeable to his will, followed by a 
direct appeal to him, in the way of his own appoint- 
ment, cannot fail to be successful. The next step, 
in an inquiry of such vital importance, would natu- 
rally be to look into God's word, and ascertain what 
he himself has spoken on this subject. For here, 
the way of life has been pointed out, with a clear- 
ness and simplicity which make it intelligible even to 
the uneducated mind. After this, we would desire 
to see a perfect exemplification of holiness of char- 
acter and life, and we have it presented to us in the 
person of our blessed Lord, who came to earth and 
assumed our nature, not only to die for us, but also 
to teach us how to live, for he has left us an example 
that we should walk in his steps. The effect upon 
the soul of the contemplation of such a character 
and life is wonderful. The influence of the contem- 
plation of natural beauty, in refining and correcting 
the taste, is very great. But the contemplation of the 
perfection of moral excellence possesses this addi- 
tional power, that it presents a perfect model for 
imitation to which we can conform our characters 
and lives with perfect confidence. There, human 
nature is exhibited in its most perfect state, as united 
with the Divine. There we behold the brightness 
of the Father's glory and the express image of his 
person, and, in the daily contemplation, are changed 



19 

into the same image, from glory to glory, as by Jjie 
spirit of the Lord. For the glories of redemption 
are no longer a mystery, and the brightness of the 
Savior's perfections are no longer covered by the 
veil of Mosaic rites and ceremonies, but we behold 
them with unveiled face. If we would suppose that 
such a degree of perfection is unattainable by us, be- 
cause the divine nature was mysteriously united with 
the human in the person of Christ, then can we find 
exemplifications of these perfections in a lower de- 
gree in the lives of godly men, furnished in the his- 
tory of the church, and we shall also find exemplifi- 
cations of single virtues carried to a high degree 
of perfection. Yet who will say how far the love of 
Christ may constrain the christian to go, in patient 
suffering and labor, in disinterested self-denial and 
sacrifice, in the charity which thinketh no evil and 
is kind, and in the faith which will not be denied, 
which removes mountains of doubt and difficulty and 
looks through the fogs of earth into the clear blue 
empyrean where the glory of God is displayed in its 
highest form. Surely, we have not yet beheld the 
highest display of moral excellency in the church. 
Certainly, if solitary instances have appeared "they 
have been few. It is the duty of the existing and 
coming generations, instructed by those who have 
gone before, to exhibit a higher form of excellen- 
cy. Especially is there a want of faith and li- 
berality sufficient to carry forward the work which 



20 

has£ been assigned to the church by her glorious 
Head. For exemplifications of these virtues, ade- 
quate to the emergency, we can refer — as a stimu- 
lus — to our blessed Lord and his Apostles. — 
Though he was rich, for our sakes he became poor, 
that we through his poverty might become rich, 
whilst the twelve, unlettered, unknown and poor, had 
faith sufficient, not only to remove mountains, but 
to believe that they could evangelize the world, and 
they did it. We want such liberality now, to build 
up the church in her institutions and her ministry, 
and such faith, to carry the everlasting gospel to 
the destitute at home and to the heathen in the ut- 
termost parts of the earth. These are the results 
of personal holiness, the fruits of the Holy Ghost 
which dwells in the believer and gives to every one 
a harvest of blessings both in kind and degree, as 
he has sown. "For whatsoever a man soweth that 
also shall he reap ;" and "with what measure ye 
meet it shall be measured to you again ;" and "he 
that soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly, and he 
that soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully." — 
Need I add that in this way personal holiness will 
be acquired, and when acquired the soul is strong in 
virtue and bids defiance to all her enemies. Satan 
and the flesh and the world in vain seek to seduce 
the soul from the path of duty. Secure in the con- 
sciousness of right and severe in virtue, she turns 
away from them with scorn and disgust. Thus also 



21 

is she prepared for the field of active duties on be- 
half of others, to enter into the haunts of vice and 
crime, to save the perishing, to reclaim the backsli- 
der, and to minister from the store of her own large 
experience reproof, instruction and consolation as 
the occasion may require. Thus the evil days will 
be diminished, and the opportunities, as they occur, 
will be redeemed to the glory of God and the good 
of man. 

3. We are naturally led, in the next place, to the 
consideration of Direct efforts to do good to other?, 
as a means of redeeming the time. Pursuing this 
course, we are obeying the positive precept, "but 
to do good and to communicate forget not, for 
with such sacrifices God is well pleased ;" we be- 
come benefactors to our race and to the world ; we 
become coworkers with God himself, who causes his 
sun to shine upon the evil and the good, and his rains 
to descend upon the just and the unjust; and we re- 
ceive for ourselves the approbation of our conscien- 
ces and of our God. The sphere of usefulness to 
which we are summoned is limited, only by the ex- 
tent of our ability. Certainly, God has not prescribed 
a limit either in his word, or by general consequen- 
ces. The command to do good is restricted, on the 
one hand, only by our own power, and on the other 
by the necessities and wants which surround us. No 
embargo has been laid upon age, sex, condition, cli- 
mate, country or color. Far as the wants of man 



22 

extend, and as numerous, so far extends the be- 
nevolence of our Father in heaven, and so far and 
to so many particulars should our benevolence 
extend. If the iuquiry be made, in what form and 
in what direction shall we do good ? The reply is, 
in every form and direction which the occasion re- 
quires, both for the soul and the body. Some persons 
conceive that they can be more useful in one place, 
and in one form of activity than in another. Let 
every one be fully persuaded in his own mind, and be 
certain that he is animated by the spirit of his Divine 
Master. As the followers of Christ, members of his 
body, animated by his spirit, the object at which we 
should aim is the same which brought him from hea- 
ven to earth, the salvation of the soul. Everything 
which contributes to the attainment of this end is of 
the first importance, and should claim the first and 
undivided attention. For what shall a man give in 
exchange for his soul when once it is lost ? 

It is obvious, that the desire and the effort to do 
good are not confined to any particular class of per- 
sons, or to any particular profession or condition. — 
For if it be a duty, no one can claim exemption 
from it. If it be a privilege and a source of blessing 
no one man or society of men has a right to exclude 
any one from the blessing. I may not claim, as my 
peeuliar duty and right, the winning of souls from 
their wicked courses to God, neither can I claim as 
my peculiar duty and right the visiting of the sick, 



23 

and the relief of the poor. Neither is it my peculiar 
privilege. It belongs to all as a right and duty and 
privilege. 

The opinion, which has prevailed too long and too" 
extensively, that the work of conveying in spiritual 
blessings to mankind belongs exclusively to the min- 
isters of the gospel, can not be too speedily explo- 
ded. It paralyzes the energies of the church, it is 
selfish in its influence, and hedges up from the ener- 
gies of the people of God, the most productive field 
of usefulness and enjoyment. The ministers of the 
gospel are not necessarily the most useful, even in 
their own field of labor. There may be men, in oth- 
er professions and avocations, members of the church, 
and communicants at the same table, naturally more 
eloquent than they, and perhaps more influential. — 
Why shall not they speak for their Master, and, in 
profound compassion for their erring fellow-men, seek 
to save them from the coming wrath ? Are not com- 
passion and mercy exercised in this direction as no- 
ble and praiseworthy, to say the least, as the same 
emotions directed to a suffering body or a bankrupt 
estate ? Surely the soul is of more value than the 
whole world. How frequently, in the ordinary inter- 
course of life, the opportunity occurs of speaking a 
word for Christ. Perhaps, in any other avocation, 
they occur more frequently, than in the ministry and 
if the heart is filled with the love of souls, the atten_ 
tion will be directed to the subject and a blessing 



24 

will follow. The influence for good of such a course, 
upon the soul of him who pursues it, cannot be esti- 
mated, whilst his secular employment will be dignified 
and made honorable. In addition to the occasional 
attention to the subjects, why should not men engaged 
in secural avocations, as well as ministers of the gos- 
pel, devote a portion of every day, one or more 
hours, to the specific object of doing good to others ? 
Does not our own common Christianity, and our re- 
lations to the Sovereign of the universe, and to our 
fellow-men demand this of us ? 

If it be objected that we thus invade the sacred- 
ness of the ministry, and the privileges of the sons 
of Levi, I reply, that no such invasion will ensue from 
such a course, as none is contemplated. With the 
most exalted opinion of the work of the ministry and 
of the sacred office, with the most ardent desire to 
introduce into this office the highest degree of piety, 
genius and learning and laboring to have it filled to 
the utmost limit of man's spiritual necessities, I con- 
ceive the course indicated to lead directly to this re- 
sult, as it is clearly the duty of every Christian. In 
what does a christian layman differ from a christian 
minister ? Not necessarily in piety, or learning, or 
eloquence, or in any natural or acquired personal en- 
dowments. Both belong to the brotherhood of chris- 
tians, and to the universal priesthood in Christ, and 
both exercise like faith and a good hope of salvation. 
The only difference then between them is, that the 



25 

one has been chosen by his brethren to become their 
stated preacher and pastor and to administer the sa- 
craments. The sphere of the minister is limited and 
defined, whilst that of the layman is undefined. His 
duty to do good to the souls of men is not therefore 
annulled because his brother has been chosen to be 
the pastor of a certain field and even his own pastor. 
May he not read the bible to his neighbor who can- 
not read ? May he not speak the truths of the bible 
when he has it not with him to read ? May he not 
speak the words of truth and soberness to twenty, or 
fifty, or five sinners who hear him gladly ? Is it not 
his duty so to do, for which no civil or ecclesiastical 
courts can release him, a duty for the faithful dis- 
charge of which he must give account to the Omni- 
scient Judge ? It matters not what the profession 
or avocation may be, the obligation to do good to 
the souls of men is imperative and perpetual. For 
this, as christians, are we called out of the world and 
distinguished, for this are we organized as a church 
and the truth is taught and the sacraments adminis- 
tered, for this are we called the light of the world 
and the salt of the earth. The salt must do its work 
in purifying and saving, and the light must shine un- 
til the ends of the earth behold the salvation of our 
God. Not else, can we see, even in the far distance, 
the day when the earth will be evangelized. Accor- 
ding to the common notions on this subject, which 
have grown venerable through age, a few thousand 



26 

ministers of the gospel must preach and pray and 
minister to the sick and the dying, whilst hundreds 
of thousands and millions of laymen are to sit still 
and move neither hand nor voice in this work, as 
though it did not belong to them. When, may we 
ask, with deep emotion, under such views of truth 
and duty, will the world be evangelized? Never, 
unless the Lord interpose by miracles more wonder- 
ful than those of Moses and of Christ. The only 
course which promises success, in this direction, and 
awakens hope — is, that every member of the church, 
up to his ability, engage actively in the work of doing 
good to the souls of men. Then will revivals of re- 
ligion be multiplied, pure and holy, such as have 
blessed the church during the last nine months ; not 
the result of machinery and fanaticism, but the fruits 
of the Holy Spirit in answer to the prayers of lay- 
men. Then will ministers of the gospel be multi- 
plied. Then may we anticipate, in answer to the 
prayers and labors of the people of God that a na- 
tion will be born in a day, and the Son of God, with 
his armies, will go forth conquering and to conquer, 
with the sword of his mouth, the word of God, until 
he shall be hailed by all people "King of kings and 
Lord of lords." 

4. As an auxiliary in the work of redeeming the 
time, let me urge you to improve every opportunity 
of growing in knowledge and of adding, by your own 
contributions, to the general stock in the world.— 



27 

This service you owe as a debt to science and to your 
Alma Mater. Knowledge is to be found everywhere. 
There is no field so barren, which will not yield a 
rich harvest to the industrious inquirer. In the ef- 
fort to do good, knowledge in almost every depart- 
ment multiplies on our hands, and it is one of the 
beautiful coincidences in Christianity, as it is one of 
the rewards of benevolence, that the knowledge and 
the grace of God are united, and are the natural 
fruits of the desire and effort to do good. No class 
of men have made more accurate, minute, and exten- 
ded contributions to the sciences of language, geog- 
raphy, geology, and ethnology than the missionaries 
of the cross to foreign and savage nations. They 
have employed the opportunities, as they occurred, 
to enlarge the boundaries of their knowledge, and 
with this the sphere of their usefulness, whilst their 
direct efforts to do good to the souls of their fellow- 
men were in no respect thereby diminished. — The 
habits of study and investigation which you have 
formed will enable you to carry forward this work 
with pleasure, unless, as has unfortunately too often 
happened, these habits should be neglected and de- 
stroyed. To aid you in this work let me urge you 
to carry with you and along side of your profession, 
whatever it may be, some subject of investigation in- 
dependent of it, which will fill up the chasms of time, 
whether large or small, which belong to every avoca- 
tion. This will afford a refreshing variety to the 



28 

mind, and whilst it informs the mind, it imparts a vig- 
or and freshness which greatly facilitate progress in 
the ordinary pursuits of life. 

5. Always be industrious and active. Idleness is 
the parent of many vices and crimes. The greatest 
blessing which can be conferred upon a young man, 
beginning a profession, is the complete and useful 
occupancy of his time. One of the greatest dan- 
gers to which he is exposed is the want of employ- 
ment in the beginning, the idleness which ensues, 
the evil associates and the evil habits formed, and 
then too often the ruin of character, reputation and 
of all that is lovely and of good report. For the 
same reason, do not refuse a situation of great re- 
sponsibility where your energies will be tasked to 
their utmost tension. That is the place to call all 
the powers of the soul into exercise and to strength- 
en them. Under such influences, the character is 
exalted and feeling how much depends upon exer- 
tion, the needed efforts will be made and they sel- 
dom fail of success. The mind and the body must 
both be tasked to their utmost tension if it is desired 
to develope them beyond their present powers, and 
it is vain to anticipate such development without cor- 
responding efforts. One of the noblest aspirations 
of the human soul is the desire of enlarging its pow- 
ers in every direction, of becoming wiser, better, 
greater in everything. For this purpose should the 
mind be tasked all its journey through, down to old 



29 

age. so that when the time of the souPs departure 
shall come, she will be prepared to plume her wings 
for a loftier flight ; and having labored faithfully in 
this life of labor and trial she will be prepared, oh 
how joyfully, to enter upon the rest prepared for the 
people of God. 

Gathering up then these particulars needed for 
the redeeming of time, the watchfulness over self, 
the cultivation of personal holiness, the constant ef- 
fort to do good to the souls of men, the improve- 
ment of the mind in knowledge, and the continued 
industry and activity, see how they will fill up the 
time so that it will not be recognized as evil. Con- 
sider too, how they will meet the extravagance of 
the age and rebuke it with all the severity of virtue. 
How they will frown down bigotry and ultraism in 
the church and the state, and the various forms of 
dishonesty, which sully and deform private and pub- 
lic life ; and how they meet the theoretic errors of 
the age and subdue them, by the power of that love 
for souls which impels them to action, and that knowl- 
edge which points out and refutes them. 

Finally, the time is short. Each hour, each op- 
portunity of doing good, is invaluable. The moments, 
as they come to us, are laden with blessings, and they 
leave us as swift messengers bearing their testimony 
either good or evil to the throne of God concerning 
us. What shall that testimony be ? Ah my young 
friends, put a proper value upon time, you cannot 



30 

prize it too highly ; redeem the time, by improving 
its golden opportunities, make it tributary to the 
great end of life, so that when it has borne you on 
its chariot wheels to the confines of eternity, the 
myriad voices of its years and months and days and 
hours as they depart shall echo the welcome which 
comes from the throne of God "Well done good 
and faithful servants, enter ye into the joys of your 
Lord." 



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